Knockout
by addicted-to-romione-bedward
Summary: Retired boxer, Edward, ends up coaching his neighbor's little brother who happens to be a young boxing talent. When Jasper becomes Edward's direct opponent, it's a wake-up call for both of them. SLASH. boy on boy loving. One-shot.


**Many thanks to harrytwifan. All mistakes are still mine.**

**Do drop by my facebook group or the slash group on facebook and check the awesome banner Betti did. It has waited too long to have a story attached to it. I hope I did it justice.**

**Without further ado, I introduce you to boxerward and boxersper.**

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**Edward's POV**

Another sleepless night for me.

In the quiet of the darkness surrounding me, I hear a car's engine rumbling on our street and stopping what seems to be in front of my house. This neighborhood is dead in daylight, but at night…

So curiously, and with my heart beating wildly in my chest, I creep to the window and peek outside behind the thick green curtain.

An inebriated man stumbles his way to my next door's neighbor house. When I see him rattling the door handle, then going to the window and squinting inside, I know what I have to do.

I'm way past my glory years in boxing, and I've never been one to pick a fight just for the kicks. I grab the cordless phone from my nightstand and dial the emergency number.

The slightly bored voice of a woman answers promptly. "9-1-1. What's your emergency?"

"My name is Edward Masen. I live on Crevice Street, Number Five. There's someone breaking into my neighbor's house—Number Four. Across from me."

"Are you absolutely sure, sir? Couldn't it be one of your neighbors coming home late?" she asks, typing away.

"No. I'm positive. Mrs. Hale is out on vacation with her husb…eh, boyfriend."

"I see. I have alerted a team to go check on the situation. Thank you for calling. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No. Thank you."

We hang up and I stay in the shadows waiting for the cruiser to arrive. They must have been patrolling the neighborhood because not two minutes later, the car pulls behind the drunken man's car—the man who is still trying to get in the house, now testing some keys.

He screams and kicks when the police officers drag him to the cruiser.

I flop on my back on the bed, pride bubbling up my chest.

Rosalie is going to thank me.

It feels like I have just fallen asleep when my cellphone rings loudly. Grumbling and wondering who the heck is calling me so late, I answer, irritated.

"YES?"

"Edward! I'm so, so, so sorry to wake you." _Rosalie_.

"What is it?" I mumble. _Did she find out about my heroic moment?_

"To make a long story short…my wayward idiotic brother is visiting me."

"Oh. But you're gone," I say, trying to make sense of her words. My brain is still foggy from sleep.

"Jasper came to my house tonight…and you know how I changed the locks a couple years ago. Anyway, someone called the cops when they saw him forcing his way inside. It didn't help that he was drunk, either."

_Holy shit_. "Your brother?" I squeak, feeling like crap.

"It was you, wasn't it?" She knows me so well.

"I had no idea, Rose." I sit up on the bed, biting my lip. "What can I do for you? I owe you."

"You can go and bail him out. Also, if it isn't too much…can you keep him at your place? I still can't believe I forgot to leave you a set of keys."

"S'okay. I'll go get your brother out of jail."

"You will get along well. He's a boxer, too. Thank you again."

Like the wind, I get dressed and drive to the station.

The officer asks me a lot of questions. I'm sure it's funny how I called them to arrest the man and now I want to bail him out.

"Let me get this straight, Edward," Charlie says, amused.

I glare at him, because I just want to get this over with. It's close to four am. I need to sleep.

"You called to announce someone was breaking and entering Mrs. Hale's house, and now you want to bail that person out?"

"I had no idea Rose had a brother. She called me to bail him out. That's what I'm doing!"

Sighing heavily, Charlie makes a few calls and soon they bring Jasper out front, still cuffed. He's definitely her much younger brother. He still looks wet behind the ears.

Scrubbing my face with my palm, I sign everything, then lead the way to my car.

"I can't believe I'm stuck with you!" he groans. "Rose said you were nice, but I've changed my opinion of you!"

"I apologize for calling the cops. Seriously. I had no idea she had a brother, or that you were planning to visit."

We don't say another word until I pull in front of my house.

"I talked with Rose earlier, and you're welcome to stay in my spare room until she returns from her vacation."

Jasper scowls at me, stomping over and extracting a duffle bag from his car. He then follows me inside my humble abode.

He looks around once before finally turning to eye me up and down. "Who would have thought big and mighty Knockout Masen would live in such a simple place?"

I grind my teeth. "My glory years are long gone. Let me show you to the spare room."

"I'm a boxer myself."

"Rose mentioned that when she begged me to bail you out."

"You're my idol!" he continues, yapping happily.

I'm starting to regret this decision. There are plenty of hotels in this town.

"Can we discuss this after I get a few hours of sleep? I'm dead on my feet, man." I almost beg him.

"Of course, of course, KM."

I stomp down the hall. "Don't call me KM!" I hiss under my breath. I fucking hate that nickname.

.

.

.

Loud rock music wakes me up some hours later.

It takes me a full five minutes to remember last night's events.

_Why me?_

I drag my ass out of the bed, taking a leak before facing the chaos.

Jasper is at my stove frying bacon and singing loudly, off-key along with Mick Jagger.

"Are you even allowed fried stuff?" I shout, making him jump.

He looks sheepishly at the frying pan, then at me. The answer is no, obviously.

"A few stripes won't kill me. I'll train harder," he says with a shrug.

I grab the iPod from the doc and turn down the volume. Ah, much better. My poor ears were almost bleeding.

As the day progresses, Jasper tells me about his fallout with his family, and how only recently he started talking again with Rosalie. He has drinking issues, which left him trainer-less, and he has a few fights fast approaching.

Because I have nothing else to do, I offer to coach him.

That's how we end up at the gym for the rest of the week. The people coming to lose weight or simply stay fit forget their purpose. We're their main attraction.

Thankfully, Jasper is focused on his training. I'm starting to think boxing is the only thing keeping this kid focused.

I don't mind their attention, either. I'm used to people staring while I'm in the ring.

We're working on defense today. Apparently, Jasper's previous coach focused only on attack. Well, defense is more important, and it's not for the weak.

It also gives me a reason to punch him for dropping cranberry juice on my beige couch.

If I were in the crowd, I'd probably be laughing my ass off at Jasper. He jumps back, one arm shielding his face, the other his stomach. I still jab him in the ribs, which annoys him and makes him charge at me. He must be forgetting I've won everything there is to win. I can do this in my sleep.

After throwing various uncalculated punches at me, which I block, he makes the universal time-out sign and falls into the ropes, breathing heavily.

"Don't tell me you're tired!" I exclaim. Seriously. We've done an hour of speed bag and then to the ring. He can't be tired.

"You're either trying to kill me, or my previous coach was rubbish," he heaves out.

"I'd like to think the latter is true." I nod firmly. "Now, get a sip of water then we shall continue." I start untying the gloves.

"Sweet, we're done with this. I'll take whatever else you throw at me!" he exclaims cheerfully.

I lead the way to a relatively empty area of the gym—they probably do yoga here, or the morning stretch. Anyway, it will do for what I have in mind.

I take jump rope out of my bag and throw it at Jasper. "Do your worst!"

He gives me a funny look. "I've outgrown my childhood years."

"It's for training, you fuckwit! Who the heck was your idiotic coach?" I can't help but ask.

"Phillip Jameson." _Haven't heard of him_. "He was my trainer when I started working out before I decided to go into boxing." _Ah, that explains it_. "Anyway, I trust you more. But man, this is hard."

"You have a match in only one week! We need to get you in shape!" I remind him.

He obeys me, and I'm surprised by this new determined Jasper.

When we run out of equipment to use in the gym, I take him running. It's getting harder for me to stay focused on training him.

We run on the quiet streets in the evening or early morning. His shirt usually disappears fifteen minutes into our jog and my eyes find their way to his sculptured chest and back, the way his muscles pull and stretch as he runs distracts me. His toned legs are going to be the death of me. And those beads of sweat rolling down his angelic face, dropping on the asphalt, are killing me.

"So why did you stop?" Jasper asks suddenly.

_I'm still running_. "What do you mean?"

"Boxing. Why did you stop? You're still young."

My ears turn red. "Uh, I'll be thirty in a few weeks."

"Still young."

"I won everything I could win at my weight class. I still have an odd match when someone decides to attack my belt." I shrug, stopping as we reach the top of the hill.

We both flop on our backs.

Jasper suddenly sits up and looks at me with a weird expression. "What class are we talking about?" he asks in a squeaky voice.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Super middleweight."

"Whoa! Wait. You won everything?"

"Not exactly. And I thought you knew everything about me."

He scowls at me. "And I thought you won everything there is to win."

"Touché."

After some time, while we relax on the relatively wet grass, staring at the darkening sky, I tell him about my titles—IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC.

"You said you didn't win everything! Oh my God! I remember now, when…your last fight!" He's the excited kid again, and that spark in his eyes makes my stomach tighten.

I give him a sad smile. "Yeah, that was memorable. The thing is, the euphoria vanishes once I return to my empty house. I didn't win everything, Jasper. I have no one to share my awards with."

He pouts. "Yeah, I feel you there. My parents are still against my career choice, and Rose is finally starting to warm up to it."

My eyes widen, realizing about all her tales of an ex-boyfriend that was a boxer. I guess she was talking about her brother, but was too afraid to say the truth.

"I'd like to think I opened her eyes on what boxing really means."

"I'm sure you're the one who convinced her this isn't a way to kill myself. Sure, I visited the ER more times than I can count, but I love what I'm doing."

I grin, understanding him.

On our way back to my house, we simply walk.

"Can I ask you something?" Jasper whispers.

"Mhmmm."

"You said you don't have who to share your happiness. Why didn't you find someone? I bet there were a lot of women throwing themselves at you…a little appealing? Right?"

"Wrong," I mumble.

"You mean only the ugly ones like boxing?"

"I mean…" I sigh, not ready to spill my guts to him. "It's late, let's just get home, take a long warm bath, and sleep. We'll start over tomorrow."

Just as I unlock my door, I feel his breath down my neck, making my hair stand up.

He's too close.

"It's true, isn't it? I read somewhere once that you're not into women."

"Jasper, there's been a lot of shit written and said about me," I mutter, opening the door and stepping inside.

He follows me, locking up behind him. I stand there with my back to him, wondering if he's going to say anything else. When I'm sure the subject is buried, I make my way up the stairs.

"I understand you," he squeaks.

I turn my head to frown at him, barely making out his silhouette in the dark house.

"Edward…" His voice shakes horribly as he steps closer to me. I don't move. "I've always admired you…in more ways than one."

Gulping, I cover his shoulder with my hand. "That's my secret, Jasper. I trust you not to say anything, okay?"

"Sure. You can beat me within recognition if I divulge your secret. I know."

"I will never!" I exclaim.

"Good." He nods.

"First, I never fight outside the ring. Second, I'd never hurt you. I'm afraid I can't—you're growing on me."

"Why?" he murmurs, stepping even closer to me.

"Jasper, I don't want to do something we may both regret."

"There will be no regrets on my side," he assures me. "I've liked you for too many years."

"You didn't show it," I joke.

"Well, a guy has to act cool around KM."

"Can you not call me that?" I beg him. "There's no turning back if we make this step…" I warn him.

"You've been alone for too long, and I've wanted you for years…when I wasn't even sure if it was true or not what they said about you."

"Your sister will kill me," I mumble, before leaning closer. After checking his crystal blue eyes again for reassurance, my lips touch his for the first time.

I don't even remember how to kiss.

I owe so much to my former coach—poor man helped me a lot with relieving the tension and bringing men to me, paying them heftily. It was necessary to keep it all as secret as possible, because if the truth about my sexuality came out I'm afraid to think what could have happened. A part of me disagreed with that scenario, but once I was in the ring I felt a lot better.

Jasper groans and kisses me back enthusiastically, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"I need to know if this can actually happen," I say against his lips. "I don't want to lead us on."

"What do you mean?" he asks distracted, kissing down my neck.

"Jasper." I push him away a little. "I need to know what you like."

"I'll be whatever you want for you, though, I usually…uh, I top."

I sigh in relief. I'd have settled for only head if he wanted me to top.

I'm that desperate to have someone.

It's sad, really.

"Good. You can top," I murmur. Taking his hand, I lead him upstairs. "But before anything happens, we need to shower. We both stink."

"This means I get to see you naked and wet?" He sounds like an excited little kid.

"Yes. It's not like you wouldn't have ended up seeing me naked anyway."

"But wet, too—that's a plus."

Laughing, I open the door of my bathroom and flip the light on. To calm my sudden nerves, I also turn the water on, adjusting the temperature.

Jasper tugs me to him by the hem of my sweat pants, working on untying them. To my surprise, he's already naked.

"Damn, you're fast!" I chuckle nervously.

"Why beat around the bush when we both want this?" He shrugs, pushing my pants and boxers down. "Do you have supplies?"

"Only condoms." I point to the cupboard under the sink.

"We'll have to be inventive until tomorrow when you and I will make a short trip to the store."

"Sounds like a plan." I nod, crouching to rummage through my stuff for the box of condoms.

The last I've used them was when a good old friend visited. He is one of these guys my former coach used to bring to me. We developed a friendship of sorts, but he has a family. I never call and beg, and when he comes over, I wait for him to initiate anything.

I place a foil on the sink before stepping into the bathtub. Jasper follows me, smirking.

"You've done this before, right?" I check, just to be sure I'm not stealing the kid's virtue.

"Yeah, only a handful of times, but never with an older guy. Not that you're that old!"

I cup his face. "You didn't insult me. I'm honored to be with a younger guy. And a fan, too."

He gives me a bashful smile before pressing my back into the tile and kissing my hungrily. His inexperience is reflected in his timid touches as he starts exploring my body. Covering my neck with kisses, he touches my shoulders with the tips of his fingers, trailing them down my ribs until he finds my ass and grabs it, squeezing roughly.

I do my own exploring, and his body is perfection. When I knead his ass cheeks, he bucks into me, mashing our erections together.

"Are you clean?" I realize it's too late now, but better later than never.

"Yes," Jasper gasps. "Feels so good! Gah!" He humps my thigh, breathing harshly into my neck.

"I bet it will feel even better inside me," I murmur in his ear. Sliding down his body, I pay attention to his pebbled nipples. They seem to be very sensitive because Jasper jerks in my arms, groaning loudly and fisting his hands in my hair, pushing me lower.

_Oh, I was headed that way, Pretty Boy._

Grinning at getting such a wonderful reaction out of him, the moment I'm eye level with his gorgeous dick, I engulf it in my mouth.

"Fuuuck!" he shouts. I hear his palms hitting the tile behind me as he pushes deeper in my mouth.

With one hand I torment his balls and what I can't get in my mouth, I stroke with the other hand. He has a decent size and girth. I've had bigger, but that's not all that matters as I have come to find out. The owner has to know how to use it.

Jasper seems to know what he's doing.

"S-s-stop!" he grunts, pushing against my shoulder.

I pout because I was just getting started teasing him. "Close?" I wonder. Looking up at him, I run my hands over his legs—such toned legs. I've seen them at work, and man, the way his muscles stretch and pull...

"Kinda. I'm sorry," he apologizes softly, helping me up. "Let me make up to you."

"After we actually shower," I tell him, grabbing my shower gel.

We get even more worked up when Jasper decides we should wash each other's backs. _Yeah, right._ In no time, I find my chest pressed over the edge of the tub as he works my hole with slick fingers. I'm surprised at how gentle he is.

I'm not used to this. My former lovers just made sure I was stretched enough before plowing into me. True, I used to wear a plug before our meetings, but no one gave two shits about preparing me. They never hurt me, but were simply there for their own pleasure. If it hurt a little I didn't object. Slight pain gets me off.

Jasper is careful and starts with a finger, slowly adding another one, checking if I'm okay. This is all new to me, so I just nod, urging him to move the fingers faster or replace them already with his dick.

Chuckling, he steps away from me. "Let's rinse. I want to do this on a bed."

_What's wrong with the bathtub?_

"You know sex is not linked to a bed, right?" I check, grabbing the shower head to rinse the shower gel off us.

"Yeah, but for the first time with you, I'd rather be on a bed than in a bathroom," he answers, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh." _Makes sense._ "Okay."

We dry off the excess water quickly before I lead him to my bedroom, condom box in hand.

"There's some lotion on my nightstand," I tell him as I flop on my stomach on the bed.

He obediently takes it and joins me, immediately going to my ass and making sure I'm still stretched. Next, he rips a foil open and lifts my hips off the bed, parting my ass cheeks.

My eyes cross in pleasure when I feel the tip of his cock at my entrance. He plays with me a little before inching inside.

I groan, fisting the bedding. "That's great! Don't stop!" I beg him, pressing my face to the pillow. "Ahhh!"

Jasper holds me tightly as he picks up the pace, and when he changes the angle—_holy fucking shit!_—he finds my prostate. He seems to realize it too, because his thrusts become more forceful until I'm overcome with that crazy need to come. I can't hold it much longer, and apparently, neither can he. He slams into me as his hands come to rest on my shoulders, only to move one in my hair and tug, and that's my undoing. I shout unintelligible words as I explode. Hands free.

The boy is amazing.

He falls on top of me, breathing harshly, before slowly rolling away.

We don't move for a good ten minutes.

Jasper is the first to climb out of bed to dispose of the used condom. I doze off as I wait for him to return, which doesn't happen.

I'm too tired to go and drag him back, because I know he's in the guest room. All I hope is that he doesn't have second thoughts.

I really don't want to ruin the friendship we've developed the past few days.

In the morning, he's in the kitchen like always, making coffee and looking through my cupboards for food.

"Morning," I say in greeting.

"G'morning!" Jazz says excitedly, turning to me. "Good, you're awake. We need to hit the store. You're out of those yummy biscuits."

I raise an eyebrow at him.

_That's it? No comments about last night?_

"We will. Give me some coffee first."

When he passes me the mug, he catches my eye. "Sorry I didn't return last night. I had no idea if you'd want me there."

"It's okay. I wouldn't have minded," I pacify him, sipping from the magic liquid. "Just a little heads up next time, okay?"

"Next time?" he cries out, sounding hopeful.

"Well, if you want." Now I feel like an asshole for presuming he'd want more.

"I want. Fuck, I want you. Last night was…the best experience ever!"

I grin, glad we agree on that subject. "Now we should focus on your training, then we'll see where the day leads."

"The biscuits?" He pouts.

Laughing, I ruffle his hair. "Biscuits, kid. Then training."

"Don't call me kid. Not when you plan to have my dick so deep in your ass you'll feel it in your stomach," Jasper mutters.

I smirk, and impulsively kiss his temple before heading to get dressed for the day.

We spend the day at the gym again, and in the evening we run to the hill. Once home, we repeat the activities from the previous day. The whole week is spent in the same manner.

On Friday, two days before his first fight, we walk leisurely back to my house as we run over the finer details. We met with his opponent yesterday, and I have no doubt Jasper will knock him out by the third round. After this one will come a few more fights which has me thinking.

I'm really curious of where he'll stop. If he wins every fight, it's obvious he'll become my direct enemy, attacking my belt.

Someone is at my door, and I realize it's Rose. She's back.

Uh, I'm not ready for her to find out about what's happened.

"Edward!" she squeals, turning when she hears us approaching. "Jazzy!" She jumps on Jasper, hugging him tightly.

"You're back," I say lamely. "I took good care of you little brother." _Well, it's true._

"Me too," Jasper jokes. "Took care of him." He points to me, grinning.

Rose has always been open-minded when it came to my sexual orientation. She seems to accept her brother, but I'm afraid of her reaction when she finds out about us. We'll spill the beans accidentally, I know that.

"Come over!" she says excitedly. "You have to see the pictures and all the pretty stuff we bought. You can finally meet Emmett," she tells Jasper. "Please don't hate him. He's a great guy."

"As long as he's nothing like that two-faced bastard you married last time," Jasper grumbles.

"No, Emmett is sweet! Right, Edward?" She turns to smile at me, pushing us toward her house. "Edward likes Emmett. They're friends."

"He's a decent guy." I shrug, not comfortable being thrown into family conversation.

"They hit the gym every evening together."

"He works there, and as you said, we're friends. Of course I visit him. It's a bonus I can work out a little," I mutter.

Jasper throws me an amused look, but I shake my head. His sister can be exuberant.

Once inside her house, and after Emmett is introduced to Jasper, stories about their trip to Mexico keep coming until late at night when my head is buzzing. That may be because of the Tequila they offered me earlier, though.

When I say goodnight, Jasper follows me out.

"What are you doing?" I ask curiously as he walks with me across the street toward my house.

"My things are still at your house. I told Rose I'll sleep at your place again and tomorrow…or today…I'll move in with her. Though, I'm not eager. They're so sickeningly in love."

"Tell me about it." I unlock my door. "All Em talks about at the gym is Rose, and if I'm alone with her, she speaks of him."

"And it makes you think you don't have that to share."

I catch his eye, nodding. "But I do now."

He cringes. "Can we not tell them? Please? It took her long enough to understand I don't have a disease and that gay people are as normal as the rest. If she hears I'm sleeping with her friend... Jesus, I'm afraid of the consequences. I don't need drama in my life before the fights," he pleads with me, cupping my face between his palms.

"I understand. Okay." I kiss his head. "Come to bed."

—**KNOCKOUT—**

Jasper wins all of his scheduled fights, and everyone congratulates me on deciding to go into coaching. It wasn't by choice. I just saw talent in the kid.

But now, when the IBF announces his next opponent, it's a hard slap for both of us. For me is like a wake-up call. I need to fight again…and against my lover, no less.

It's too soon, but almost a year has passed since we met. Fair amount of time to prepare myself for having to fight him. I've known we were headed this way.

Jasper says he can stop. He won't attack my title, but I can see he wants to. So I do the only thing I think will help; I pass his coaching to Emmett. He's decent, and has witnessed most of our training. The fight is scheduled for February next year—three months away.

Once I know there is someone trustworthy helping Jasper, I flee. I find refuge in a small cottage in the mountains where I train by myself, beating myself up over the fact I have to compete against the only person that actually means something to me. He's become everything to me in a short period of time.

Rose hasn't figured out why Jasper spent most of his time at my house, but Emmett caught on to the subtle looks and touches during the training. He didn't say anything, though, I'm sure he'd love to beat my ass for hurting his girlfriend's little brother.

I know I hurt Jasper, but I have had to distance myself in order to prepare for this.

I plan on attacking the first couple rounds, then I will allow him to win. He deserves it. I'm afraid to truly fight for my belt—I don't know how to end a fight without knockout. That's the way I roll.

When the fateful day approaches, I arrive in Vegas, where the boxing match will take place, with a day to spare. I am accosted by the press, but refuse to answer any of their questions.

Purely by coincidence, I bump into an old friend in the lobby and ask if he'd like to be there for me near the ring. I miss my poor old coach, God rest his soul.

Five minutes before I'm introduced to the audience, I'm still in two minds of what to do. It's never been this hard. But this is Jasper I'm going to fight.

Once my name is shouted, I can hear my song playing.

_Makes me that much stronger  
Makes me work a little bit harder  
It makes me that much wiser  
So thanks for making me a fighter  
Made me learn a little bit faster  
Made my skin a little bit thicker  
Makes me that much smarter  
So thanks for making me a fighter_

It's always been mine from the first time I heard it years ago. The song represents me so well; a perfect telling of my life. My father's brutal nature pushed me toward learning how to fight, and it was only a step from there to falling in love with boxing.

I walk toward the ring, waving my gloved hands. Once in my corner, I do a small bow. It's a rush like no other to be back here and hear they still love me.

Then they call Jasper, and he appears at the end of the tunnel. He doesn't look any different—maybe his hair is a little longer.

_Head like a hole.  
Black as your soul.  
I'd rather die than give you control.  
Head like a hole.  
Black as your soul.  
I'd rather die than give you control._

I'm surprised to hear his new song. It used to be _We Are the Champions_. I guess this one is just for me, a warning of sorts.

The moment we're both in the ring, I can feel the tension multiply as he throws me a glare.

In that moment, right before we start, I decide to leave aside all the worries. May the best man win.

_Let's see what he learned from me._

If he's going to be ruled by his anger, he'll lose. If he uses his head, he may have a chance to win.

The moment we start, Jasper is on me, wasting his energy on uncalculated punches, which I placate easily. I bite my tongue not to shout at him to keep his head in the game. He's always been quite the hotheaded guy.

When he realizes the hook, long fist, or jab don't work, and the end of the first round is nearing, he corners me in the ropes and throws a fist to my stomach. It's like he declared war in that moment, and I switch from defensive to attack mode, catching him with a nice uppercut which makes him stagger back.

Sadly, the first round comes to an end.

As I sink into my chair, with Liam, my long lost friend, drying my face and offering me water, I stare at Emmett and Jasper.

"Don't let him push you into the ropes again."

I give Liam an incredulous look. After spitting out my teeth protection, I hiss at him, "You're here just so I have someone to give me water and attend to me if I get a split lip or something. I know what I'm doing better than you."

"Sorry. You're right."

The second round brings an even more aggressive Jasper. He manages to send me to the floor, where I'm begging my body to get up already, but my head is swirling. Fuck. He got me good. I can feel blood oozing from my nose.

Once I'm on my feet again, I charge at him, giving him my best hook and cross blows until he's the one in the ropes, his arms protecting his ribs and head. I don't think twice when I find his liver uncovered. But when Jasper grunts and falls to the ground, my heart pummels to my stomach.

_What am I doing?_

Before the referee makes a step toward us, I crouch to help Jasper. I can hear the murmurs in the room, but all I can see is the pain on his face.

"Come on, Jazz," I hiss through the protection, tugging him up.

The referee pushes me away and starts counting, but thankfully, Jasper gets up. We continue with lifeless punches and mostly hugging for a breather. He's in pain, and I'm too old for this.

"If he falls…No. When either of us falls, do me a favor," I whisper to Liam on the break between the rounds. "Throw in the towel."

"You never!" he gasps, looking agitated.

"I can't do this," I beg him.

He nods, still looking unsure.

As the third round starts, we're dancing around, neither of us having yet to throw a decent punch. Slipping, bobbing, blocking, clinching until I see his head uncovered, so I jab my fist to his face at the same time as he sees an important part of me uncovered—my liver.

Fucking hell.

It feels like I'm dying every time I get a punch there. Thankfully, I have training, and only bend a little, surprising him when I throw him an uppercut, to which he responds with a hook to my left ear. That does it for me, though before I stagger away, I finalize my planned punch to his stomach.

We're both on the floor.

It's definitely a first is for both our people, because I can't call Liam, my coach, to throw in the towel.

Through blurry eyes, I can see Jasper getting up, but I'm dizzy and the doctor is keeping me on the floor.

"Edward!" I hear a voice I have missed dearly. "Edward, I'm so sorry," Jasper whispers. I can feel his fingers clinging to my arm.

He's taken his gloves off.

I can't find my voice to answer, but I can hear the doctor saying something about the hospital before blackness engulfs me.

I come around to the sterile hospital smell and that annoying beeping. Huh. I never visualized myself waking up in the hospital after a boxing match.

_Oh well. There's a first time for everything._

The sad part is I'll have no one to visit me.

That thought disappears when I open my eyes and find Jasper in the plastic chair near the bed. He's in an uncomfortable position, his face bruised, brow split, lips split. I did that. I hurt him like that.

My stomach rolls at the thought of hurting the kid.

I have no idea what I was trying to prove.

That I still got the moves?

That I'm not that old to defend my title?

That I'm a fool for even thinking to compete with a young boy like Jasper?

"Edward! You're awake!" He's awake and worried about me.

"How much do you hate me?" I croak out.

"On a scale from one to ten?" he asks, cocking his head.

_Oh, so I'm right. He hates me._

_Then why is he here? Why worried?_

I nod.

"Minus ten," he says confidently, cupping my cheek. I whimper in pain. "I love you."

I choke on my spit, sitting up quickly and regretting it immediately when everything starts aching. "You're…what?"

"I love you, Edward. You're such an idiot! Why did you leave me? I wanted to tell you I didn't want to attack you title, but you fled like a coward!"

Shame fills me. He didn't want to fight. "Then why did last night happen?"

"I wanted to prove to you I learned a lot from you, but the second I saw you, anger filled my body and I didn't think rationally."

"I was this close to shouting at your for not using your head." I chuckle, taking his hand. "And Jasper?" I stare into his blue eyes. "I love you, too."

He beams at me, leaning to kiss my bruised mouth.

"So who won?" I ask a little while later.

"No one. Why?"

"If you said me, I'd have said it is true. I won everything." I grin at him.

Jasper raises a brow.

"I keep my awards, and you. I have everything I could have wished for."

"Me too." He nods, his eyes shining with love.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot. If the boxing terms are off, please excuse me and go shout at dear ol' Wikipedia for giving me wrong information. :)  
**

**Keep an eye on my profile. There's another jazzward story coming - I'm working on it as we speak. They don't want to talk to me, but alcohol is always the answer. I'll bribe them.**


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